Reading matter holder



Nov. 7, 1939.. A. F. OSBQRN READING MATTER HOLDER Filed Jan. 12, 1959 R m m m F P @az. ATTO NEYS simply reading matter Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ald Products Corporation, Buffalo, N.

poration of New York Application January 12,

Claims.

This invention relates to a support or holder for reading matter or the like.

My present invention provides a simple and efficient device for supporting reading matter, whether in the form of a newspaper, a magazine, a book or otherwise, in a substantially upright position, either wholly or partially folded or completely open and extended, depending upon the general size and nature of the reading matter and the inclination of the user.

Devices for accomplishing the same ora similar general purpose have been heretofore proposed but none of the devices of the prior art have achieved any particular success or acceptance owing to a number of deficiencies. These deficiencies are believed not to be present in the device of the present invention wherein a support for reading matter is provided which has among its attributes the fact that it may be and inexpensively manufactured; that it is readily collapsible or foldable to cause it to assume a very small compass for purposes of transportation or storage between periods of use; that it is readily adjustable to accommodate of varying size both as to expanse and as to thickness; that it is automatically adjustable to accommodate reading matter of different thicknesses; and that its use in general is convenient and efficient and does not involve factors which tend to discourage its use.

A preferred form of the device which forms the subject of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device in open v and operative position with a newspaper, or like article, indicated in dotted lines as being supported thereby;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device showing, for the purpose of clearness, only one s of the pair of associated supporting arms;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the pivot or fulcrum portion of the device with a portion thereof broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the pivotal connection of one of the supporting arms with the pivot or fulcrum portion.

Throughout the several figures of the drawing, like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral if! designates a pivot base or connection for a pair of preferably identical but oppositely formed supporting arms designated generally ll. Various means for pivotally relating the supporting arms H might be resorted to and they might be connected directly to each other Y., a cor- 1939, Serial No. 250,598

for pivotal movement, but in the illustrated embodiment the pivot base It is provided a recess l2 for the reception of one terminal portion of each of the supporting arms ll. Such terminal portions of the arms II are arranged in the recess l2, preferably in horizontal adjacency and with enough clearance between them to permit their independent pivotal movement. Each of the terminal portions of the arms I I may be conveniently retained in the recess [2 for pivotal movement with respect to the pivot base H! by a screw l3 which passes through the terminal portion and is secured in the pivot base H] as appears best in Fig. 4.

While the supporting arms I I may assume various forms, particularly as to cross section, I preferably form each arm of a single strip or rod of relatively fiatand somewhat resilient material, usually metal. Each such strip may be bent or formed to provide a substantially horizontal base portion M, considering the device in the position in which it is normally used. Such base portion l4 terminates at one end in the pivotal connection heretofore refered to and at the other end in an upwardly extending portion l5. The upwardly extending portion 15 preferably forms an acute angle with the base portion l4 whereby a slight inclination is given to reading matter which rests thereagainst when the device is in use.

At its upper end the portion I5 merges into a return bend portion l6 which extends downwardly from such upper end and preferably behind and spaced from the portion I5. The return bend portion 16 is shorter than the portion 15 and terminates downwardly in a forwardly extending portion H. The portion I6 is preferably oifset slightly to permit the forwardly ex tending portion IT to extend forwardly past the upwardly extending portion l5, and at its forward end the portion ll terminates in a portion 58 which extends upwardly therefrom and is spaced forwardly of the portion l5. If desired, the upper end of the portion I8 may be flared outwardly to facilitate introduction of reading matter although the portion I8 is not so illustrated in the exemplary embodiment.

The full line position shown in Fig. 2 indicates the free or initial relative positions of the several portions of a supporting arm II and in such position the spacing of the portions 55 and ll is such as to permit entry of the lower edge of a newspaper or like article which is relatively thin. As thicker articles are to be accommodated the portion 16 is adapted to flex, as for instance to the dotted line position indicated at 16' whereupon the upwardly extending portion [8 assumes the position illustrated at H3 in Fig. 2.

The resilience of the construction not only permits the device to adjust itself to accommodate articles of various thicknesses but it also causes the lower edge of the article of reading matter to be resiliently held against displacement between. the portions and 18 within the limits of the capacity of the device.

When the device is not in use the supporting arms II are intended to be folded fiat against each other so that the device may be stored in a relatively shallow receptacle, such as a drawer, a brief case, or the like. When the device is to be used the arms I I may be pivoted so that their base portions [4 make a greater or less angle with each other depending upon the size of the article of reading matter to be supported with reference to its expanse or area. It will thus be seen that adjustment is afforded for enabling the device to be used in conjunction with articles of reading matter of various sizes both as to thickness and expanse.

The device is shown open and in use in Fig. l where the numeral 20 indicates a newspaper or the like shown in dotted lines. It will be noted from an inspection of this figure that each pair of forwardly extending portions ll is disposed on the outside of its associated upwardly exten ing portion l5 with respect to the device as a whole. This construction is preferred for the reason that when the parts are so arranged and the device is grasped by the portions I5 and moved to a more open position, with a piece of reading matter in the device, the portions 35 abut the forwardly extending portions I? and force them to move outwardly with the portions l5 against any tendency which they might have to remain in frictional contact with the article of reading matter and consequently flex laterally away from the portion I5. It will further be noted that such movement has a tendency to lessening the effective depth of the pocket by moving the supporting arm angularly toward the plane of the article of reading matter but this tendency is accommodated by the resilient construction of the device and only serves to cause the reading matter to be held more firmly in the support.

While a specific form of my invention has been illustrated and described by way of example, my invention is not to be considered as limited otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sup-port for reading matter and the like, a pair of supporting members comprising clongate elements having substantially horizontally extending base portions pivotally connected to each other at one end, the opposite end of each such base portion being provided with an upwardly extending portion to serve as a back rest for reading matter, each upwardly extending por tion having attached thereto means for holding reading matter thereagainst, such means comprising a portion which extends forwardly of said upwardly extending portion intermediate the length thereof, the forward terminal portion of said means including an upw ly extending portion, said means being resil. ly attached to first mentioned upwardly extending portion whereby said forwardly extending pc the last mentioned upwardly e may be yieldably moved for" n and rcazw d with respect to the first mentioned upwardly extending portion to resiliently accommodate reading matter of various thicknesses.

2. In a support for reading matter and the like, a pair of supporting members each comprising an elongate element having substantially horizontally extending base portions pivotally connected to each other at one end, the outer end of each of the elongate elements being formed to extend first upwardly, then rearwardly and downwardly, then forwardly past the first mentioned upwardly extending portion, then upwardly again, whereby the second mentioned upwardly extending portion may be resiliently moved toward and away from the first mentioned upwardly extending portion by flexure of portions of said elongate element to permit the reception of articles of reading matter of varying thicknesses between said upwardly extending portions.

3. In a support for reading matter and the like, a pair of supporting members comprising elongate elements having substantially horizontally extending base portions, said base portions being adapted to be disposed with one end of each of them in substantial juxtaposition and the opposite ends relatively spaced, the spaced ends of said base portions being provided with upwardly extending elements to serve as back rests for reading matter, each upwardly extending element having resiliently associated therewith means for holding reading matter thereagainst, such means comprising a portion which extends forwardly from said upwardly extending portion intermediate the length thereof, the forward terminal portion of said means including an upwardly extending portion to form a pocket for the reception of the lower edge of an article of reading matter, the horizontal width of said pocket being variable by reason of the resilient association of said holding means with said first mentioned upwardly extending portion to accommodate reading matter of varying thickness.

4. A support for reading matter or the like having base means comprising a pair of elongated elements hinged to each other at one end whereby the pair of members may be moved from a position of relative parallel adjacency to a position where they form an oblique angle, with the plane enclosed between said members extending substantially horizontally, and elongated supporting members rigidly attached to and extending upwardly from the free ends of said hinged members and having means for retaining reading matter or the like thereagainst, comprising a rigidly associated element extending forwardly from each of said supporting members and terminating in a resilient portion substantially parallel thereto, the plane enclosed between each supporting member and its attached base member being substantially vertical whereby when the base members are moved to parallel adjacency the support members will assume a like position and the device therefore occupy a minimum of space for storage or transportation.

5. A support for reading matter or the like having base means comprising a pair of horizontally extending elongated elements hinged to each other at one end whereby the pair of members may be pivotally moved in a common plane from a position of relative parallel adjacency to a position where they form an oblique angle with the plane enclosed between said members extending substantially horizontally, and an elongated supporting member rigidly attached to and extending upwardly from the free end of each of said hinged members and forming an acute angle therewith, and means for retaining reading matter or the like against each of said supporting members comprising resilient means rigidly associated with each arm and comprising an adjacent portion extending forwardly therefrom and terminating in an upwardly extending, resilient portion in approximately parallel relation with its associated supporting member whereby reading matter may be resiliently gripped therebetween, said supporting members being attached to said base members at such an angle that they lie in relative parallel adjacency when said base means occupy a like position and a relatively spaced substantially parallel relation when the base means are moved so that they form an oblique angle.

ALEX F. OSBORN. 

